The Manchester United manager, David Moyes, has confirmed he has not spoken to Ashley Young in the wake of this week's diving furore. Young has been at the centre of more unwanted attention after apparently going to ground too easily to win his side a penalty against Real Socieded in midweek.

Moyes defended his player at the time and is still doing so now. "No," said Moyes, when he was asked whether he had spoken to Young. "The referee was two yards away from it and gave a penalty. If you need to talk to anybody, you should ask the referee. I didn't see an issue at all."

Moyes's attitude may disappoint some, given that he has spoken out against diving in the past and censured Young earlier this year, when the England winger was booked for simulation against Crystal Palace.

However, in this instance, there was clearly contact, albeit minimal, and the Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli was right on top of the incident.

It leads Moyes to conclude that Young is being judged on reputation rather than the actual event. "I do think a little bit of that," he said. "I also think the referee made the decision. If he had been a long way away, you could have maybe said what was it? But he was two yards away.

"He refereed the Champions League final so you are expecting him to be as qualified as anybody. If anything you should be more talking about the referee than the player."

It had been claimed there was no need for Young to go down in such a theatrical manner. However, Moyes was unrepentant, pointing out his long-held stance on diving as proof Rizzoli was the best placed person to judge. The question is loaded towards the player," said Moyes.

"That is wrong. The question should be 'did the referee get the decision right or not'. He was two yards away from it. For me, where I was, I definitely thought it was a penalty.

"Everybody can now stand back and watch it from TV. I was one of many who said I would definitely have retrospective action for diving because it would make the referees' job much better. But on the night, if you had said, could you get the referee any closer, I don't think you could."